Budgeting has never been this difficult in all of history. One used to see people cashing their check at the end of the week, banking most of it, and keeping their spending allowance in their pocket. This was a fairly easy method of keeping track of how much money one had at one's disposal; all one needed to do was look in one's pocket.
Nowadays, one need to get to a cash machine and ask for a balance or get to a computer or smart phone and take a peek. Everything is done on plastic and becoming increasingly illusive.
There is great truth in the saying, “If you watch your pennies, your dollars will take care of themselves.” Unfortunately, there is no convenient way to watch one's pennies anymore. Although the number of times a person swipes a card on an daily average may vary from person to person, there are some days that the frequency can be mind-boggling, especially during the holidays. The average person just isn't equipped with a simple, efficient method to track expenditures, especially at the same frequently they may be swiping in this plastic economy. We have created a new currency system, which takes a little more effort to understand than our former paper system. This new currency system seems to have made its way into people's lives with little or no preparation, and the consequences have been financial disaster for many.
The present invention is simple a device to operate and provides a quick, on-the-spot method to maintain a running balance of expenditures. It's not meant to replace a detailed accounting practice, nor is it intended to replace reconciliation with one's bank account on a periodic basis. Its purpose is to keep the user from getting lost in a world where innocent swiping significantly increases the user's chances of over-spending. The present invention was created as a stopgap tool to keep the user informed of the user's budget balance as the user goes through the day swiping the user's cards.
Since the Device of the present invention is easy to use and affordable, one may consider owning several and dedicating each to a special project, such as:                a vacation where the user wishes to stay within a budget;        keeping track of a credit card balance;        keeping track of the user debit card;        tracking a monthly household budget; and        helping a child learn about saving and spending.        
It is envisioned that a system where loan institutions, bankruptcy clinics, social security programs, unemployment programs and welfare systems equip their recipients with a device of the present invention in order to help them make wise, well-informed decisions as they spend their limited resources. With banks using clever formulas to charge huge fees for just about every checking account error one could possibly make, isn't it time that everyone equip themselves with a tool to prevent these costly mistakes?People on limited incomes cannot afford a $35 over-draft fee simply because they went a few dollars over their bank balance. It is time to empower people with a convenient, easy to use, budgeting tool so they have a chance to wisely manage their finances.